August 29th, 2013 issue #1235

For four years now, the Southern Cafe & Music Hall has survived in the shadow of Coran Capshaw's Jefferson Theater on the Downtown Mall, competing every week for a share of the music show-going crowd. While founder Andy Gems admits he hasn't gotten rich doing it, he says he hasn't lost money either, and more importantly— he's kept the small-venue music scene alive. "I've invested a lot of time and money in the local music scene," says Gems," more than anybody else I know."

It might seem as if Parachute were an overnight success— but that would be selling their story short. The hometown heroes have gradually risen through the ranks, from a rascally high school band initially named Sparky's Flaw in the early 2000s to a pop rock outfit re-branded as Parachute, to, today, a slick, confident, and mature ensemble that's heard their songs in Nivea advertisements, shared the stage with artists including the Jonas Brothers, Kelly Clarkson, and Taylor Swift, and performed on Good Morning America and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.